Trump-Era CBP One App Now Urges Migrants to Self-Deport

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Key Takeaways

The Trump administration launched CBP Home on March 10, 2025, repurposing CBP One to promote voluntary self-deportation for undocumented individuals.
CBP Home requires personal details, citizenship, destination country, alien registration number, and photo for self-deportation initiation via the “Intent to Depart” feature.
DHS reports a 35% drop in border arrests within three days of CBP Home’s launch, reflecting immediate enforcement impact.

On March 10, 2025, the Trump administration introduced CBP Home, a reimagined app aimed at addressing illegal immigration by encouraging self-deportation. Previously known as the CBP One app, this tool had been utilized during President Biden’s administration to streamline asylum applications and schedule border appointments. Its transformation under President Trump’s renewed immigration focus marks a profound shift in policy, aligning with his administration’s stricter approach to managing unauthorized immigration within U.S. borders.

From CBP One to CBP Home: A Technological Shift

Trump-Era CBP One App Now Urges Migrants to Self-Deport

The new version of the app, now branded CBP Home, reflects a complete transformation to serve a very different purpose. Rather than facilitating asylum claims or humanitarian application processing, the app now focuses on promoting self-deportation—a voluntary process where undocumented individuals initiate their departure from the United States.

Key to this innovation is a newly introduced feature called “Intent to Depart.” Users can inform the U.S. government of their decision to leave voluntarily and avoid the harsher consequences of deportation. These include being barred from re-entering the U.S. in the future. By choosing self-deportation through CBP Home, users may be eligible to return legally at a later date if they meet all required conditions. This shift highlights an attempt to render immigration enforcement more cost-effective while potentially maintaining future legal immigration options for those who comply voluntarily.

Understanding the CBP Home App’s Processes

The app streamlines the self-deportation process, offering undocumented individuals an accessible and organized way to ensure their departure adheres to U.S. immigration laws. CBP Home requires the following details from each user:

Personal and biographical information
Country of citizenship and destination country
Alien registration number (a unique identifier assigned to non-U.S. citizens)
Up-to-date contact details
A user-submitted photograph, used for identity verification

Additionally, individuals granted parole through various Biden-era programs must upload proof of their departure through the app. All data entered is directly sent to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for final approval and monitoring.

Notably, the app also repurposes information gathered from CBP One. Users previously documented under CBP One—such as those allowed into the U.S. on humanitarian grounds—can likewise be tracked using data already available in the system. This feature indicates a broader integration of data-sharing in U.S. immigration enforcement.

Government Justifications for CBP Home’s Repurposing

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has framed CBP Home as a more compassionate and practical step towards addressing the growing number of unauthorized immigrants. Noem stated, “The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self-deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream. If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return.”

Similarly, Pete Flores, acting commissioner of CBP, has described CBP Home as a “straightforward way for illegal aliens to declare their intent to voluntarily depart.” His comments emphasize a shift toward voluntary compliance over forced removal, signaling a change in emphasis on enforcement strategy.

The Trump administration views self-deportation as a humane alternative to traditional deportation. By allowing individuals to remove themselves from the U.S. with minimal intervention, the government seeks to reduce enforcement costs, save resources, and encourage compliance with immigration laws. As of now, however, the app’s functionality and effectiveness in achieving these goals remain to be seen.

Contrasting Roles: CBP One vs CBP Home

The Biden-era CBP One app functioned as an operational tool to organize immigration. Between January 2023 and the end of Biden’s term, over 900,000 individuals entered the U.S. on immigration parole using this app. Many were permitted to remain for two-year periods. On average, CBP One processed approximately 40,000 migrant requests monthly, primarily at ports of entry. However, this rapid surge prompted criticism from opposition leaders who argued that it encouraged illegal immigration.

CBP Home’s role is starkly different. By March 2025, the Trump administration had not only ceased CBP One’s operation but also replaced its structural framework with a mechanism to aid undocumented immigrants in voluntarily leaving the country. At launch, all CBP One apps were automatically updated into CBP Home, ensuring migrants could access self-deportation services.

Impacts of CBP Home and Initial Data

Although too early to assess the long-term effects fully, initial findings reveal notable changes following the app’s launch. DHS reported a significant downturn in border apprehensions immediately after the Trump administration assumed office—a 35% drop in border arrests within three days of assuming power, compared to the final days of Biden’s presidency.

Looking back, border apprehension trends had climbed to unprecedented levels during Biden’s administration. This growth is acknowledged as contributing to President Trump’s assertive immigration policy reversal, including shifting technological solutions like CBP One into CBP Home.

One broader goal of the CBP Home initiative is to reduce the roughly 17 million undocumented individuals currently residing in the U.S.—an increase of 16% since 2021. Whether this tool can effectively manage such a large-scale concern, however, is the subject of ongoing debate.

Concerns and Critique of CBP Home’s Approach

Unsurprisingly, CBP Home’s rollout has sparked controversy. Supporters praise its practical benefits, emphasizing its cost-effectiveness and humane voluntary compliance model. Proponents also argue that offering undocumented individuals a structured pathway to depart voluntarily may build trust in legal processes over time.

On the other hand, critics of the policy warn that the app could disrupt family units and affect communities built over years. Many undocumented individuals have lived in the U.S. for lengthy periods, contributing economically and socially to local areas. A forced or self-motivated exodus—albeit voluntary on the surface—risks breaking ties between immigrants, their families, and the life they’ve constructed.

Victor Avila, a former special agent for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, shared his perspective, emphasizing that CBP Home provides a critical opportunity for undocumented individuals who were paroled in through CBP One to legally return to the U.S. without risking life bans. By ensuring cooperation, users of CBP Home stand a better chance of successfully applying for future lawful entry.

Wider Policy Changes Under President Trump

The development of CBP Home is one part of intensive changes made to U.S. immigration policy since President Trump took office in January 2025. Among the most noteworthy steps include:

The immediate end of all humanitarian functions linked to CBP One, as announced on Trump’s first day in office.
Suspension of all parole program applications approved under the previous administration.
Empowering ICE to revoke parole grants issued to migrants.
Prohibiting the use of parole extensions for particular Temporary Protected Status (TPS) communities.

Each of these policy shifts reflects a tightened approach, endeavoring to close what the administration sees as loopholes in previous practices.

The Path Forward

As of now, CBP Home is backed by a wide media campaign designed to raise awareness about its features. Broad advertising—ranging from national radio spots to targeted outreach in migrants’ countries of origin—plays a pivotal role in encouraging use. Furthermore, the DHS has indicated plans to leverage CBP Home data to monitor compliance.

In summing up this pivotal moment, CBP Home symbolizes a marked trend in using technology not merely to track and process immigrants but to drive compliance through voluntary behavior. Whether its purported benefits outweigh concerns about potential disruption will heavily influence upcoming policy debates.

For more information on immigration laws or voluntary departure mechanisms, U.S. Customs and Border Protection offers online resources through CBP’s official site. Meanwhile, VisaVerge.com’s latest analysis sheds light on the broader implications this policy may have for unauthorized migration patterns moving forward. Both stakeholders and observers should keep a close eye on the app’s rollout as the U.S. navigates this evolving period of immigration law and enforcement.

Learn Today

Self-Deportation → Voluntary process where undocumented immigrants choose to leave a country, avoiding penalties associated with forced deportation.
Alien Registration Number → A unique identifier assigned to non-U.S. citizens for tracking and immigration-related purposes within the U.S. system.
Parole → Temporary authorization allowing individuals to enter, stay, or transit through the U.S. without formal immigration status.
Intent to Depart → A feature in the CBP Home app enabling users to notify the government of their voluntary decision to leave the U.S.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) → A U.S. immigration status granting protection to individuals from specific countries facing unsafe conditions like conflict or disaster.

This Article in a Nutshell

CBP Home: A Controversial Shift in U.S. Immigration Policy

Launched in March 2025, CBP Home rebrands the CBP One app to focus on voluntary self-deportation. Touted as cost-effective and humane, critics fear family disruptions and community impacts. Aiming to reduce undocumented populations, this policy underscores a stark shift in immigration enforcement under Trump’s administration, sparking ongoing debate nationwide.